Eternal Cultivation of Alchemy

Chapter 2424  Welcoming Guests

As the day of the final competition approached, people from all around the world poured into the Medicine World to catch a glimpse of what the future held for Alchemy.

Anyone who could afford to care about Immortal Alchemists had come and was looking forward to seeing the finale.

Because of the massive influx of people, the tournament was now held in a different location from Hardrock City.

It was held in an open expanse in the middle of the God's Domain, in a stretch of somewhat barren land known as the Sandsworn Plains. There, a massive city had been created both to house the people who would come and to hold a massive stadium capable of accommodating all who came to watch.

This had been in production for the past century, so everything was the best it could be.

The Alchemy God was busy welcoming the guests before the competition started, most of whom were Gods or Reverends attending on behalf of their gods. There were other important figures too, but he couldn't afford to greet them personally. They would have to be satisfied with his subordinates.

Someone approached the Alchemy God with a small ensemble of people following him.

The Alchemy God looked up at the newcomer, slightly surprised by his presence. He hadn't expected a man such as this to show up at his competition.

The newcomer was a big man with a bare upper body, showcasing his muscles and sharp creases. His bronze skin made him appear more statue than man, as though crafted by the best sculptor one could find.

"Your Majesty," the big man said, bowing slightly in greeting.

"War God!" the Alchemy God said with a hint of surprise in his voice. "I did not expect to see you here. I was certain this sort of matter would not interest you."

The War God nodded. "It is wisdom my late master shared with me when he taught me, so I do not shy away from sharing it with others," he said.

The Alchemy God nodded quickly. "I never got to meet your master, but if I had, I surely would have respected him more than anyone else," he said. "The records paint the Hell Emperor as a man worthy of everyone's respect."

"I'm afraid you thought wrong, Your Majesty," the War God said. "Alchemists, more than any other group of individuals, are the foundation in times of war. They keep soldiers going even when they are on the brink of collapse. That could mean the difference between victory and defeat. As a result, I believe it is my duty to scout out as many skilled Alchemists as I can."

"I thought that was my job." The Alchemy God couldn't help but smile as he responded. "I'm happy to hear you praise Alchemists like that, War God. Thank you for sharing your wisdom."

The War God nodded. "It is wisdom my late master shared with me when he taught me, so I do not shy away from sharing it with others," he said.

The Alchemy God nodded quickly. "I never got to meet your master, but if I had, I surely would have respected him more than anyone else," he said. "The records paint the Hell Emperor as a man worthy of everyone's respect."

The War God simply nodded, satisfied.

"We have prepared courtyards for you all. If you would follow my disciples, they will guide you," the Alchemy God said, letting the War God proceed.

The War God said his farewells for now and continued along.

The Alchemy God watched him leave and couldn't help but frown after a while. If possible, he did not wish for a war to happen in the future. However, the ripples of its possibility seemed to have spread far and wide if the reclusive War God himself had come to such a place to seek out worthy Alchemists.

This was indeed a troubling sign.

The Alchemy God continued welcoming more guests. A few Reverends and Sages arrived, none accompanied by their Gods.

The Technique God, the Array God, the Body God, the Music God, and the Axe God all sent their subordinates.

The next God to arrive was a woman with short black hair, cut to nearly resemble a man's. Her eyes were deep pink, ringed like those of an eagle. She wore a half-cut robe, leaving her slender arm bare for all to see.

None dared to.

"Not a bad place you've got here, brother Whitesong. Did you have it built recently?" the woman asked.

"We did indeed," the Alchemy God said, bowing slightly. "And this place is honored to have you, Archery God."

"Call me Killshot," the woman said. "I don't like it when people refer to me by my title."

"Very well, sister Killshot. I hope your days have been pleasant," the Alchemy God said.

"Let's skip the formalities." The woman stepped closer. A few people around the Alchemy God stepped forward, expecting danger. The Alchemy God, however, sensed no hostility from her, only curiosity.

"I wasn't planning on coming here, but I was informed by Dustvenom. I hear brother Spearheaven is around. Is that true?" she asked.

The Alchemy God was rather surprised to hear that. Had she come all this way just for him?

"He is around, yes. He follows one of our world's best Alchemists," the Alchemy God said. "They should be arriving soon. Do you wish to meet him?"

"Yes. As soon as he comes, have him come to me," the woman said.

"I shall arrange for it," the Alchemy God responded. "It should only take a few—"

"No!" The Archery God suddenly interrupted, shaking her head. "On second thought, forget it. I will meet him if fate wills it."

The Alchemy God didn't know how to respond to her sudden change of mind. "If you say so, sister Killshot."

The woman nodded affirmatively. "So, where do I go? I wish to rest before the tournament starts. We still have time, don't we?"

"We have two weeks," the Alchemy God said. "My disciples will show you and your people to your courtyard."

Once the Archery God left, more people arrived, only a few of them Gods.

The Beast God arrived a few hours later, followed by the Weapons God a day after. Then, later that day, the Storm God arrived.

No other gods came, sending only their subordinates instead.

The Sky God had also sent one of her Reverends, who explained her absence. The Alchemy God needed no explanation on this matter, as he was certain the recent issues she was dealing with could not be delegated to others.

The Court of Gods had also only recently ended, so it made sense that she would be busy with stuff regarding the lost treasures. She had lost her standing due to the recent incident and would have to work had to rebuild all the trust she had gathered for the past hundreds of thousands of years.

Of the 32 total Gods, 12 were now gathered in that place, including himself, while 19 had decided not to come. With 31 Gods accounted for, the Alchemy God waited for the last one.

His subordinates looked confused. "Your Majesty, who are we waiting for?" one of them asked.

"You'll know once you see him. There is no point in explaining right now," the Alchemy God said. He sounded hopeful that this man would come, but deep down, he expected the obvious. He waited for two whole days before finally being certain that the last god would not be coming. "I suppose we have waited long enough," the Alchemy God said, now choosing to move on from all of this.

"Come on. We need to make the final preparations before the participants begin arriving."